There’s nothing like a street gang in a movie. The more colorful, the more insane, the better. Here are some of our favorites. What are yours?
- Every gang in The Warriors: The Warriors spend just about the entire running time on the run, pardon the pun, from gangs like the Gramercy Riffs, the Lizzies, the Punks, the Boppers, the Satan’s Mothers and everyone’s favorites, the Baseball Furies. If you’re going to fill your movie with gangs, fill them with ones that will influence every single other movie on the list.
2. The gangs of 1990: The Bronx Warriors and Escape the Bronx: I’ll never pass up an opportunity to talk about Enzo G. Castellari’s magical world of post-apocalyptic mayhem. The Riders, led by Trash, team up with The Tigers, led by Fred Williamson and his Freddy Krueger claw wearing girlfriend Witch, as they go to war with everyone from the rollerskating Zombies, a gang of show tune dancers (I’m not making that up) and the evil Manhattan Corporation.
3. The Templars from Warriors of the Wasteland: I’m not above listing two post-apocalyptic movies in a row. And the Templars, an all gay gang of punk rockers in all white body armor that are out to purge the world of all life are an amazing gang. Actually, this entire movie is beyond belief. I want more people to watch it so that it can be part of everyone’s casual conversation.
4. The Lords of Death from Big Trouble in Little China: In the middle of the sorcery and mysticism in this film, there’s a very dangerous gang wearing 80s sunglasses that have no issues with kidnapping wives right in the middle of crowded airports.
5. The Golden Lords and The Junior Lords from Meteor Man: When TV’s Riddler (Frank Gorshin) and Simon Caine are your leaders and you have Don Cheadle, Big Daddy Kane and Another Bad Creation in your gang, you’re tough enough to battle the Bloods (Naughty by Nature), the Crips (Cypress Hill) and your neighborhood’s new superhero.
6. The Lords of Hell in Adventures in Babysitting: Sure, they may get smacked down by a teenage babysitter and a little girl dressed as Thor (his first movie appearance and man, were Marvel fans dying for any crumb back in the day), but they’ve got a great name.
7. The Street Punk Gang from Death Wish 3: As we learned this week, this gang may not be well organized, but they cause plenty of problems. Manny Fraker. Hermosa. The Giggler. Their names are forever etched in bad movie infamy and love. And you will know them by the trail of the dead…and the black lines with two red lines drawn through it that they each have painted on their faces.
8. Packard Walsh’s gang from The Wraith: Is there anything better to do in the town that this movie takes place in than to steal people’s cars in illegal drag races? Well, if you ask Skank and Gutterboy, drinking gasoline is up there. Bonus points to any gang that will allow Clint Howard to join up.
9. The Man-Eaters from She-Devils on Wheels: This movie exists in an alternative universe where a female biker gang is strong enough to destroy a police force, a rival gang and an entire town. “All men are mothers!” they yell as they roar off. You have our hearts, ladies. Be careful with them.
10. The Voodoo Posse from Predator 2: We wouldn’t have such an awesome Ice Cube sample if it wasn’t for their leader, King Willie, who says, ““There’s no stopping what can’t be stopped. No killing what can’t be killed.” after smoking what I can only imagine is all of the weed in Los Angeles.
Honorable mention goes to Tarzan’s gang from Intrepidos Punks and La Venganza de los Punks, the Foot Clan from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, the gang in Return of the Living Dead, The Living Dead from Psychomania, the Scars and the Satins from Savage Streets, the Bombers from Streets of Fire and the Boddicker gang from RoboCop.
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